-An AAR based on an ongoing PBEM campaign with Highlandcharge (Reds, Hosting) and Schmolywar (Siberians)

Turn 1: Early June 1918

The Southern Whites have a lot of advantages in the Grand Campaign, none of which are manpower related. We do however have a lot of good troops to throw at the Reds straight way.

A lucky Red player might be able to save Sorokin's army starting out locked in place at Zernograd, but the odds are against it. (I've done it myself as the Reds a couple of times, and used that army to either take out the Caucasus or reinforce Tzaritsyn.)

The overall objective is to secure the Southern region, Tzaritsyn, and the Ukraine. Less important is the Northern front, which will serve to force the Reds to split their forces, as Petrograd will b the main target for the few units dedicated to the Northern Front.

Not having a lot of troops at the start makes it a little easier to reorganize and still keep track of things.
I organize all my cavalry in Azov into divisions in a single 'column', headed by Ergeli (division commander and column leader), Markov (division leader) and Bogaevsky, and order it to move in offensive stance through Stefanidinodar and Kanevskaya to Tikhoretsk, which should take 5 days.
The remaining troops in Azov, the infantry and are organized under the Cossack 2-star leader Denisov's corps, under Denikin's Volunteer Army, and move in offensive stance through Zernograd (where the big red army of Sorokin is stuck,) and Kugoyeyskaya and finally Tikhoretsk. This should also take 5 days, but delays are expected as he will be fighting Reds on the way.

In the north, the British "North russian Expedition Force" has been ordered to move from Mumansk to Segezha, arriving in 29 days.

In the northern Caucasus, "Bisherakov's Column", a division of 10,000 men, is ordered to assault Grozny from Malgobek, while smaller detachments of Southern Cossacks strike at weaker or undefended target cities.

In Bataisk, the "2nd Kuban Brigade", a cavalry division consisting of three cavalry regiments (all southern Cossacks) under 1-star general Udovenko, is ordered to move through Maloorlovskiy, Salsk, Romaovski Khoutor, to arrive in Kurganinsk, north of the Red city of Armavir on day 4.

"Mamontov's Force" in Semikarakorski, a 10,000 man strong corps under Denikin's Volunteer Army, is ordered to Salsk via Maloorlovskiy, arriving at day 8.

Finally, two Cossack detachments are ordered to cross the river from Novocherkassk to garrison Bataisk, leaving the remainign 6,000 men under Poliakov to garrison Novocherkassk.

These forces will hopefully defeat Sorokon and cut off his line of retreat, and eventually destroy the army completely. Worst case is the Reds withdrawing to the northern Caucasus and maintaining an army-in-being at my back throughout the campaign for Tzaritsyn.

No new units are purchased this turn, all money and manpower are spent on reinforcements.

The assault on Sorokin succeeded. Denisov's Corps beat them and advanced all the way to Tikhoretskaya.
All units performed well, winning all engagements and advancing to their objectives. Grozny was captured, and so was the minor north-Caucasian city of Piatigorsk.

This turn Denisov's corps was ordered back to Zernograd to mop up Sorokin's army.
Erdeli's Column was ordered back from Tikhoretskaya to Azov via Kanevskaya, where a detachment under Red general Kalnin has appeared.

In the North, the British keep advancing towards Segezha. In Archangelsk, White General Shaplin has appeared with several regiments, one of which is detached to capture the nearby town of Letniy Bereg, where Red gunboats seem to be hiding. Simultaneously, a White fleet is dispatched from Murmansk to catch this Red fleet as it leaves port.

Supplies are still horribly low, but we expect to capture more in Ekaterinodar, where General Udovenko's "2nd Kuban Brigade", a cavalry division, has been sent to begin the siege.

Kalnin was defeated by Erdeli, but appears to have managed to slip away north-east, heading for one of the Red cities.

Sorokin was defeated yet again, withdrew to Kanevskaya. Denisov's Corps, en route to Ekaterinodar, is ordered to detour to take care of them. A new Red detachment has appeared in Temriuk, where, if memory from previous games serves me right, it will remain locked a little longer.

Erdeli's colum is ordered to advance on Novorossiyskm as to secure all the cities on the western Kuban.

General Momonotov's Force is ordered from Zernograd to Maloorlovskiy, in order to secure the railroad north of Salsk.

In Murmansk, White Geneal Zveginetsev has now raised an army of Serb and Polish "volunteers". They are ordered to proceed toward Segezha, where British General D.C. Poole has arrived. Poole is orderd to proceed southwards, securing the railroads for our use.

The detachemnt from Shaplin's "Arkhangelsk Army" arrives in Letniy Bereg, and the gunboat flotilla there is forced to sea, where it meets our superiour northern navy and is destroyed.Meanwhile, General Fitskhelaurov's force, originating in Mikhailovka, west of Tzaritsyn, is ordered to Balashov, after receiving supporting general Poliakov.

This turn the Southern Whites finally had enough Engagement Points (EP) to enact two policies: Recruit prisoners (4 EP + 2 million Rubles (R)) and Raise Money (5 EP and 1 National Morale (NM)). Thus all my 9 EP are spent. This will net us 50 more conscripts (or manpower, as I would have preferred it to be called) and 100 (million) Rubles. Our d Rail Pool is all right for now, but might need to be replenished and increased in just a month or two, depending on the need for rapid transportation. the stockpile of War Supplies could be better, but it will suffice for what I plan to build next turn, when I get my sorely needed money.

I also enacted Requisitions in the provinces of Archangelsk, Kuban and Terek, to give me more money and a small amount of War Supplies in two to three turns. Manpower is without doubt the most scarce resource for me at this time. If I could gain control over the populous Ukraine...

Army orders for this turn are simple, mostly strategic moves to consolidate my position and to finally eradicate Sorokin. If I had a bigger fleet in the Black Sea, I could have made absolutely certain his army wouldn't escape, as he is now in the shore province of Akhtarsk, with his back to the sea. An amphibious extraction is quite possible, if the Reds can muster enough transports.

The damn Reds managed to evacuate by ship from the western Kuban!
Now there's going to be several thousand more Red militia troops around... to suckup the Reds' scarce resources.
Still a bummer, but I delayed attacking them, due to supply issues and low unit cohesion. I will not have a Phyrric victory.
Ordered a new Northern White General for my troops up north. The northern front might prove more useful than originally planned. Still, the majority of resources will regardless be sent to the south.
The Reds didn't leave us any standing depots so it is of importance that some be constructed ASAP, though it is not practical to do so this turn.
More armies are shuffled around this turn, mainly the cavalry divisions, who will be sent to deal with the Red partisans and militia units remaining in Taman, just north-west of Novorossiysk.
The armoured trains of Denisov's corps are sent to seize control of rail-lines in the vicinity of our forces, to improve our movement speed once we are ready to move.

No combat this turn.
Nearly the entire Volunteer Army is directed to proceed north towards Tzartsyn, the objective being to capture the city before the first snow. If that fails, the army will turn west instead, to capture the Ukraine.
Smaller White units, predominantly southern Cossacks, are tasked with mopping up the Caucasus and the Kuban, where some Red garrisons still persist, along with a minor force of Red Guards militia.
The "armies" in the northern theatre are slowly advancing, taking control of minor Red cities and stretches of railroad.

Another White Brigade was formed in the South. No single regiments will be built, except light infantry, artillery and the occasional cavalry regiment. All infantry will be in brigades.

The cavalry offensive against the remaining Reds in Taman seems to succeed. The Reds withdraw, with the cavalry in pursuit. Denikin's volunteer Army gathers south of Tzartsyn, preparing to assault the city, once the force cohesion is up. In the North, General Miller has arrived in Murmansk with several regiments, and is sent south to organize the force assembled to attack Petrograd. In Archangelsk, the "Bolar Bear" intervention force arrives, but is indefinitely locked. It still provides an assurance for any forays southward.In the northern Caucasus only two cities remain in the hands of the Reds. Barring amphibious reinforcements, the Reds will yield soon enough.

Requisitions will hopefully be finished in turn 8 (south -money and war supplies) and 9 (Archangelsk -conscripts).

Tzartsyn is captured! The Reds abandoned the city completely, which makes making a dash for it a lucky decision, as the Reds can put up a stiff fight if they have enough men and entrenchments.

In the northern Caucasus, the last Red city of Kyzlar on the Caspian is about to be assaulted by a White Cossack column under Bisherakhov. The question is it whether to remain in the Caucasus with his forces to garrison against Red counterattacks out of Astrakhan, to split his force into garrison units and a main force to move north, or to move his entire northwards.

Just north-west of Ekaterinodar, the remains of the Red Kuban forces are hiding in the swamps. General Denisov's Corps, consisting of just some 8.000 men are sent to handle them. Should that not suffice, General Pokrovsky's Column, mainly cavalry and fast support, currently resting in Ekaterinodar, can be sent in support.

In the north, Petrozavodsk is in our hands, as is the entire long supply route back to Murmansk.

Units of Denikin's Volunteer Army move cautiously north from Tzartsyn.
In the Kuban, the remaining Reds evade Cossack patrols.
On the Norhern front, General Miller's army and the British expeditionary force fortify Petrozavodsk with a new depot.